58
Metascore
10 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80The Hollywood ReporterMichael RechtshaffenThe Hollywood ReporterMichael RechtshaffenIt's a beautifully modulated performance in a nicely crafted, quietly unassuming character study by Vancouver-based writer-director Carl Bessai.
- 75Christian Science MonitorDavid SterrittChristian Science MonitorDavid SterrittPoignant and well acted, though not very memorable.
- 75New York PostV.A. MusettoNew York PostV.A. MusettoThe dreamy drama Emile shows how a talented cast can turn a tentative plot into pleasant viewing.
- 70Film ThreatFilm ThreatA small but excellent cast supports McKellen in what is a beautiful and intelligent film.
- 70Los Angeles TimesKevin ThomasLos Angeles TimesKevin ThomasAt heart a reverie, a meditation on the past and its treacheries.
- 60VarietyScott FoundasVarietyScott FoundasA routine memory piece about long-buried family secrets that bubble back to the surface to wreak havoc.
- 60The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenWhile most films in which the angry past confronts the guilty present degenerate into mawkish reconciliations, Emile errs on the side of restraint.
- 50New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanNew York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanBoth lightweight and heavy-handed, Carl Bessai's arthouse drama can't even be redeemed by Ian McKellen's sensitive turn in the title role.
- 30Village VoiceVillage VoiceOdd beginning permits viewers to leave after five minutes and know what happens. Those remaining are left with the full tome, its 92-minute length hiding an experience as draining as "Heaven's Gate."